Destiny's Fate
by LilDropOfPoison
Summary: As Destiny's power supplies diminish, Rush's stasis pod releases him from his slumber, only to realize that the plans to drive the ship into a neighboring galaxy through an extended FTL in hopes to making the survivors on their voyage back to Earth were gravely miscalculated.


**_Destiny's Fate (Chapter 1)_**

The subtle humming of Destiny's stasis pod's final power supplies stuttered. The reserves left to maintain the final survivors of the trip through the necessary quadrants of space dwindled until they finally gave out from the last bit of energy the ship had left in it.

Destiny drifted suspended among the stars. A quiet, unmoving shell of what it once was. The last calculated jump was a misjudged, leaving the ship defenseless and unmanned as it sailed blindly through hollow distance of weightless space.

The last dying breath of the ship's reserves ignited the faint blinking light of one of the stasis pods. The pulsing green light of it's control panel flashed four times, before flickering to a standstill. An escape of air sounded with the subtle curling vapors contrasting cool air with the lingered warmth of the ship as it released.

Rush's eyes fluttered open. His pupils dilated as the darkness of his eyelids retreated from their rest, returning his sight to him as he tried to regain his thoughts after years in stasis. The heavy metal door of the pod struggled to open, halting a third of the way as it refused to release further without any means of life left to it. Everything came flooding back to his mind like an avalanche of memories as he shook off the dregs of slumber. He quickly pulled himself upright, his large dark eyes widening as he heard the pod door engage.

'No...' he thought to himself as the door jammed, the vague signs of the darkened ship through the fogged glass of the pod not escaping his notice, 'Something wasn't right...' Rush's eyes scanned the pod, pushing himself upright and forced himself to stand against the weakness of his legs through the initial feeling of atrophy in his muscles from lying dormant. His brow knit as his fingers clasped at the open gap of the stasis pod door, curling tightly at the cold metal and pulled with what weakened strength he had remaining in him. The door refused to budge. An angered rumble swelled in his throat, slamming his fist back into the seat at his back. Grasping the edge of the door once again, he struggled with all the force he could muster, feeling the door begin to shift as it released.

His weight stumbled forward as the door pulled open. Rush quickly regained his stance, keeping hold of the pod console as he caught his breath. As complex as the human body's existence was, it always amazed him at how weak it could become in such short time. His breath hitched at the thought. /Was/ it a short time? How long were they in stasis for, and how close had they been to their destination? Had the three years already passed? A multitude of questions quickly flooded his mind as he pulled himself upright with a deep breath. His heavy eyes scanned the room, adjusting to the faint light that still remained. The remaining pods remained sealed shut, causing the silence of the ship to be substantial.

Rush's hand rose to rub the back of his neck, his fingers trying to work against the pained stiffness as he crossed to the adjacent pod. His eyes narrowed as they glanced in through the glass of the pod to where one of the civilians lay to rest, of which he was too tied up with the deep workings of Destiny to even care to remember the name of. His eyes were half-lidded, body slumped to the side with a thinned, nearly mummified presentation against the darkened interior.

The pod had failed.

It was then that Rush realized that the civilian had tried to escaped. Seemingly, he awoke in mid-stasis and attempted to claw his way out. His nails were broken from their quick, blood streaking from the finely made marks at the inside of the glass where he dug at the door before giving up and slowly starved to death inside. 'Pity.' Rush thought to himself, his internal voice rather apathetic in tone.

"Well, it's not as if they're in a rush to be let out..." he quietly quipped to himself, turning his eyes from the would-be survivor, the control room his next point of destination.

While the others may have survived and still sat dormant within their stasis pods, he was in no rush to awaken them. Especially, Colonel Young. The man could wait. His fingers brushed at his cheek at the quick thought of the punch that laid to rest there on the last drop from FTL. Rush's attention was quickly drawn away from the stasis pids to the faint sound of beeping from one of the nearby consoles. He turned, closing the gap between him and the only signs of life stirring in the room, letting his hands fall against the cool metal of the panel, he hunched over it, fingers tapping a series of buttons. This was...an incoming distress signal.

One final click, he took a moment before responding, "This is Doctor Rush, aboard the ship Destiny. Do you read?"

[Doctor...Rush?] The broken relay of a woman's voice answered with a subtle tone of surprise Rush noticed. He didn't respond. [My name is Adelita Palmer...we caught signal coming from your ship. Permission to board, sir...]

Rush lifted his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose with a lingered silence as his mind still tried to shake the dregs of weakness in his body and mind. The name 'Palmer' held some familiarity, but he couldn't quite place it. Not yet. Had they finally reached their destination? Part of him felt uneasy. He let his finger fall back to the com button, "Permission granted...but, only you." He let his finger slip from the button, pulling himself upright before making his way to the docking bay.

* * *

Standing inside Destiny's docking bay, a loud hiss of air sounded as the pod settled with along with the adjustment of pressure. His arms crossed, resting against the panel nearby. 'This is ridiculous.' Rush thought to himself, as he let out a subtle sigh, fingers rubbing at his bearded chin. The bay doors slid open, a faint swirl of vapor rising upwards at the regulating meshing of air, "/Miss/ Palmer..." he announced with a faint nod as the woman's silhouette came into view. The woman hesitatingly took a step from the pod, green-hazel eyes scanning the docking bay with a flicker of amazement in her eyes.

"Y...yes." she stammered, eyes finally falling on the one she could only assume to be Rush, the one who answered the radio call. She couldn't keep her eyes on him, as they fell from his stern gaze, taking in the ship around her. A slight smile curling at her lips. So /this/ was a ship of the ancients. She could feel a halt in her chest as she took another step, the doors gliding to a shut behind her. To anyone else, this may have seemed like a just another piece of floating space junk, but in her eyes, this was simply a stunning artifact gone far too long without appreciation. The stories she'd heard of Destiny were a speck compared to the feeling of actually /seeing/ it. Another sigh escaped Rush, pinching the bridge of his nose, once again, "This isn't a field trip, I assure you." His tone broke her swelling admiration, her expression quickly falling somber.

"I'm sorry, I just never would've imagined I would get to see this ship in person." Adelita forced a small smile, shifting her attention back to Rush, "As agreed, it's only me." Rush pushed himself from the panel, turning to head towards the exit of the docking bay without a response. Adelita's brow knit, taking a step to follow before pausing, "You're leaving?" she questioned, the hint of agitation catching in her voice.

"You'll have to forgive me." Rush replied sarcastically, "Stasis lock for...however long it's been, has left me rather parched. I need a drink." Without halting his pace, Rush left the bay, his footsteps loudly sounding at the metal beneath his feet. He didn't care about the 'who', 'how', or 'why's at the moment. He just knew that he had to get his head straight. The woman hurried after him, falling into step behind him as he made his way to the mess hall, "Doctor Rush...there's many questions I have to ask you." She insisted, confused at his abruptness as she tried keeping up. His frame was much smaller than she'd imagined, as she watched him carrying on through the halls in silence, refusing to acknowledge her. She could only imagine it was from all the time in stasis. Her heart wrenched at the thought. So few, left so many years in space. Alone. There was much on her mind in regards to Destiny. The records from Earth. She'd spent much time trying to find /any/ sign of the ship's remaining existence, only to be called foolish by her cohorts. She found it difficult to suppress the tug at the corners of her mouth at the fact that she was not only proving them wrong, but was actually standing in the midst of the ship so many had seemed to forget about. All, but her and her small crew.

The doors of the food hall stuttered open with the press of Rush's fingers at the console, a quite "Ach..." escaping him in reply to the weakened power sources of the ship. There was /some/ back up power, but hardly any left. Any remaining power seemed to be harnessed into keeping the stasis pods striving, a thought which seemed like a waste to him, at the moment. He crossed the hall, slamming open a small refrigeration unit for water storage, it's reserves long since drained, as his fingers snatching up a small canteen and twisting the top off with a quiet growl in his throat, leaving his back to remain at his 'guest'. The canteen met at his lips, numerous long draws of it's liquid slipping past his lips and down his throat with thirsty swallows. He gasped suddenly, pulling the canteen from his mouth before swiping his forearm at his lips, his shoulders hunched as he rested his palms against the unit with heavy breaths. This wasn't what he had imagined of the exhaustion from coming out from stasis. Something wasn't right about this entire ordeal, that much he knew. Adelita laced her fingers at her back, her steps had fallen silent behind him as she watched him consume the entire container of water, catching the tremble of his fingers at the metal as he debated on consuming another. Her head canted slightly, "Doctor Rush...I think there's something you should know..." she began, feeling the muscles of her throat tightening as she spoke. Rush's fingers clenched tightly at the canteen, his mind racing as it still tried to piece together the time gap and turn of events. Adelita paused, laying a hand on his shoulder, trying to gather his attention..."Professor-"

Rush jolted, quickly shifting to seize her hand from her touch as he slammed the canteen free from his grip, the metal 'clang' of the canister crashing against the ground echoed through the empty hall. His breath was shaken, eyes dilated as they shifted back and forth between hers, his free hand sliding back into his hair where his fingers curled against his peppered strands before releasing his hold with a jerk, "...how...long were were we in stasis?" he finally questioned, his brow dropping to leave his startled stare like that of a lost puppy. He knew something wasn't right, he simply couldn't put his finger on it. Rush cursed beneath his breath, eyes shifting down to look over his open palm with a regrettable sigh, "I'm sorry, I..." his voice caught in his throat, the urging wish growing that he'd allowed himself more water to drink. Adelita's eyes lowered from his, Rush's sudden angered motion startled her, the thought that he didn't grasp the entirety of the situation lingering in the back of her mind. Her reference to him as 'Professor' stirring his disconcert even further.

She forced a meek smile, hoping to calm his concern, "No apology is necessary...I'm just amazed that Destiny..." she paused, feeling a faint guilt pang at her, "..that /you/ managed to survive on this ship for thirty-one years on stasis alone..."

As each word was spoken, Rush felt a deeper stabbing pain in his gut, his eyes widening slightly. "Thirty-one years...?" The muttered question rising in his throat ended with a bemused tone, a stifled laugh emerging, "There's no possibility that thirty-one years have passed..." His dark eyes lifted to meet hers with question, the waves of her ashen brown hair framing her face as she debated on what to say. Adelita shifted her stance, reaching past Rush and took up two of the canteens before taking a few steps towards one of the tables lining the hall, "You've been in stasis for quite some time, Professor...give yourself some time to regather yourself." She set the two containers on the table, her arm extended slightly as if to offer him a seat. Her expression was laced with concern, but also a sense of rigidity, wanting to fill in the missing pieces that drove her to seek him and the ship out. This was certainly too much for him to take in, she thought. Time. He needed time. "Have seat."

Rush let out a heavy sigh, his fingers running back through his hair as he accepted her offer. There were many questions flooding into his thoughts, like a damn that had shattered from the pressure of water overcoming it's barriers. And, knowing she was possibly the only one that could answer them, he slid into the seat letting his fingers steeple atop the table before him. Adelita joined him across the table, her fingers uncapping one of the water canisters and sliding it over to him before situating her own. She bit her lip, fingers tracing at the cool metal of the canteen as she pieced together her words. She took a deep breath before speaking, "Doctor Rush, I'm Adelita Palmer. My...parents were working with you and the others with the Icarus Base on P4X-351 when the Lucian Alliance attacked..." Her expression grew stern as she reflected on the numerous logs and files she'd read over once she was old enough to join the Forces, and eventually worked her way up into the Homeworld Command seeking answers for her parents disappearance.

"Adelita...?" Rush interrupted after a momentary thought, a brief chuckle rising in his throat as he pulled the canister closer to him, "'Little Winged One', I should have pieced that together more quickly when you said your name was 'Palmer'. Your mother was...Andrea, correct?" Adelita nodded, not a word spoken in response as she finally took a sip of water. Rush followed suit, his draw much heavier than hers, still attempting to quench his thirst, "She isn't one of the survivors. Your mother died on one of the first planets that we used the Stargate to seek out materials on after P4X-351's destruction." His tone was callous as he set down the canteen, his arms crossing with the tilt of his head, "The question of how you've managed to come across Destiny still hasn't been answered."

"No punches pulled. Straight to the point. Just as they always said about you." she replied dryly with a crack of a smirk, "I already was made aware of my parents status before your smart account. Having access to classified information typically comes in handy..." She cut back sharply, sliding as small black box from her military jacket. Flipping it open and pulling out a small cigarillo, she pressed the item between her lips, leaving her gaze at the far end of the mess hall before tossing the box onto the table. Adelita ran her fingers through her hair, elbow propped at the table as she fiddled with an old silver Zippo, "I'll give you answers, once you answer my questions. Quid pro quo...Rush. Did you ever see Silence of the Lambs back on Earth?" She flicked the lighter to life with a deep draw of smoke.

Rush scoffed, his eyes tracing the curls of smoke as they rose into the air from her lips, "I was never much of a movie person...but, I read the book once. When I had nothing else better to do." He shifted back slightly, eyeing the box, "Are you trying to pick my brain, /Miss/ Palmer? Any information you may have read on me, would've barely scratched my surface. Besides, this hardly has any relevance to a ship floating through space for thirty-plus years, stagnant." Adelita pulled the clove from her lips, resting her elbows on the table as she thumbed her brow, "Picking brains is my specialty. Your brain would be quite the puzzle to piece together, from the information I've read on you. And, you can call me Addy, if it's easier...Are there any other survivors on the ship? I'd be surprised to find you the only one." Her questioning was straight to the point, much as his was regarding her mother. Rush paused for a moment, lifting the canteen back to his lips for another draw, "There are others. I simply left them in their stasis pods. For the time being." She gave a nod, not surprised. From all the files on Rush that she scanned through before boarding her voyage, they always gave the same profile of him. It was almost exactly as she expected, should she ever get the opportunity to find him.

"As I'm sure you would expect, the trek of Destiny stirred massive talk back among the Tau'ri. Especially after the death of Amanda Perry." She began, her eyes glazing over in thought, "The communication stones that you used so lightly brought a lot of attention to your...crew's situation." Adelita shook her head, pulling herself from her recollection, as she looked at Rush, "And, to answer your question...your discovery was founded by a small Earth crew, foolish enough to believe that Destiny was still existing in space. Dormant, or not, having eighty people lost in space with little, to no communication, was imperative to still seek out and find the answers to. Paper trails." she sneered slightly, the disappointment of their true voyage showing through each subtle expression, "Empyrean, it founded it's name to. They felt the basis of theology sought a fitting name for the lot of us determined 'misfits'. One of which, I'll gladly accept once they find out that we've discovered Destiny." Rush felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as his fingers curled against the cold metal in his hand. While he sought out answers, he didn't expect that Destiny would've acquired such a close watch on it. The need to understand Destiny's purpose and see it through to it's final mission still held strong at him, and he refused to have any want, or need, from outer interference. The mention of Amanda's name stabbed at him, knowing that he was the sole reason of her demise. He still hadn't accepted that she was gone, the look of loss lingered in his eyes as they lowered in remembrance of the events before they went into stasis lock. This woman before him spoke the truth, and as much as it stirred his memories, it found himself appreciative of knowing that somebody understood the events that took place, regardless of them having experienced it first hand. His tension eased slightly, "So, you've just been drifting in space. /_Hoping_/ to stumble across a lost ship?"

"And, we did exactly that." The woman allowed herself another long draw from her clove, Rush's abruptness becoming tolerable, "If we hadn't, you'd still be lingering around among the stars in stasis. My ship's signal is what broke you from you slumber, whether you want to believe it, or not."

Thirty-one years... Rush pinched the bridge of his nose as he took it all in. It made no sense. From what they'd discovered during their time on Destiny, the ship was traveling between specific planets, seemingly, with the sole purpose of positioning Stargates. And, while the original plan was to keep the ship in FTL until they were able to reach the Stargates of the neighboring galaxy, why did it suddenly stop? A serge of agitation picked at him regarding the fact that he was disrupted by this ship of misfits before he was able to dig into the computer's logs for answers. Despite that, theoretically, there was little, to no possibility of Destiny remaining in FTL for thirty-one years without a means of recharging it's systems.

Unless...

"Tell me...What do you know of the Ninth Chevron. If anything?" Rush leaned in on the table, elbows resting while he steepled his fingers at his lips, "If you read the files on me, surely you know what I'm referencing." Adelita arched a brow, her thumb flicking at the filter at her fingertips as she sat back, "If you're quizzing me on my Stargate knowledge, I can tell you that what I /_have_/ learned, didn't come from your file. Or, any other government file, for that matter." Her eyes narrowed slightly in recollection, refusing to answer. At least for now. "It's my turn for the questions, doctor. Your turn to answer." Rush's brow furrowed. He promptly pushed himself from the table.

"I don't have time for this." Rush turned his back. He refused to sit here and play guessing games when there was much to be researched into since being awoken. Especially with some woman who had _no_ **idea** of what Destiny was aside from small 'factoids' she had read back on Earth, as if she was brushing up on trivial pursuit. A few brisk paces brought him back to the door, his fingers rising to meet the door's control panel with a halt, "You know where the docking bay is. Be sure to help yourself to the way out." With a press of the panel, the door shifted open. Rush's body shifted against his first step into the hall. Before the second drop of his boot could be planted, Adelita's voice sounded out, her tone resolute:

"Destiny created a time-shift, Rush."


End file.
